Conference papersCopyright (c) 2017 Dublin Institute of Technology All rights reserved.http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon
Recent documents in Conference papersen-usFri, 16 Jun 2017 17:49:17 PDT3600Laser Micromachining of Contactless RF Antenna Modules for Payment and Cards and Wearable Objectshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/29
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/29Wed, 14 Jun 2017 01:46:10 PDT
The use of contactless payment methods for consumer transactions is becoming increasingly popular - 1.1 billion contactless transactions were made by Visa cardholders across Europe in the 12 months to July 2015 (€12.6 billion total value). Typically the contactless payment process uses a Radio Frequency (RF) enabled smartcard or a Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled smartphone. In order to ensure continued market acceptance and repeat usage the contactless operation must be robust, quick and efficient. This paper describes the development of an inductively coupled contactless smartcard utilising UV DPSS laser micromachining to fabricate the novel antenna structures from copper laminated epoxy tape. The design of the antenna modules was supported by device modelling using electromagnetic simulation software. Iterative laser ablated antenna prototypes were tested using a Vector Network Analyser to determine the optimum resonant frequency in the 13.56 MHz RFID range and a commercial automated RF test station to measure contactless functionality to EMVCO and ISO14443 standards. An antenna design toolkit was developed based on parameters such as kerf width, number of antenna loops, track width, pitch, antenna DC resistance, etc. The translation of the laser ablated antenna designs from smartcards to wearable objects, such as wristbands, is also presented.
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Matthias JohnThe Integration of Sustainable Development Competencies in Irish Engineering Education: Findings of a Curriculum Content Investigation of Four Engineering Programmeshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/28
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/28Mon, 19 Dec 2016 01:53:27 PST
This paper presents the initial findings of an investigation of the Sustainable Development (SD) content in five professional engineering degree programmes in a large Irish Institute of Technology.

A comprehensive investigation of the modules content was conducted to see to what extent the learning outcomes for SD as set out in the Barcelona Declaration and SD competencies were covered by the modules. It was found that 40% of the 137 modules included SD learning outcomes and/or addressed SD competencies. The modules have a focus on environmental issues and tend to address only one of the three dimensions, environmental, social and economic, of SD. The social dimension is inadequately addressed. There is a particular focus on inter-personal skills development. More advanced skills such as systematic and critical thinking are not comprehensively addressed. Opportunities for the development of an ethical commitment to SD seem to be missing. In general it is concluded that the integration of SD competences is inadequate and is not based on a holistic approach at a programme level but rather on individual modules.

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Iacovos Nicolaou et al.Engineering Ethics: Ontology and Politicshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/27
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/27Mon, 19 Dec 2016 01:44:10 PST"Ontology...acts as both gatekeeper and bouncer for methodology” (Archer 1995: 22). This exploratory paper, through a focus on the relationship between structure and agency, examines the underlying social ontologies informing the teaching, and researching of the teaching, of engineering ethics. It argues that current approaches are deficient and that Critical Realismcan provide the basis for a more robust and inclusive research agenda for understanding engineering practice and the teaching of engineering ethics.
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Eddie ConlonA Critical Realist Approach to Engineering Ethicshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/26
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/26Mon, 05 Dec 2016 08:29:45 PST
This paper is focused on the teaching of engineering ethics (EE). Through a focus on safety and the lens of what sociologists call the agency/ structure relationship it examimes various approaches to this teaching. Drawing on Critical Realism it argues there are deficiencies in both the dominant approach and a number of proposed alternatives as they suffer from various forms of conflationism . By drawing on Critical Realism (CR) a more robust agenda for teaching engineering ethics can be developed. It is argued that CR offers a basis for understanding the range of factors which lead to accidents and disasters. It allows for a fuller consideration of agency/structure relations and the importance of changing the contexts in which engineers work in order to allow them to hold paramount the health, safety and welfare of the public.
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Eddie ConlonThermal Mass Behaviour of Concrete Panels Incorporating Phase Change Materialshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/25
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/25Tue, 17 Nov 2015 05:00:29 PST
Phase Change Materials (PCM) have been incorporated into a range of building envelope materials with varied success. This study investigates two different methods of combining concrete and phase change materials to form PCM/concrete composite panels. The first method involves adding microencapsulated paraffin to fresh concrete during the mixing process. The second method involves vacuum impregnating butyl stearate into lightweight aggregate which is then included in the concrete mix design. The primary aim of the study is to determine which method is the most effective way to improve the thermal mass characteristics of a concrete panel in the context of a thermal energy storage system for space heating in a building. The study observes the rate at which the panels absorb and emit heat, ie, the heat flux, and also how the heat flux changes throughout the depth of the panel. The panels are heated in a controlled environment provided by a specifically designed light box. Radiation is used as the heat transfer mechanism. Surface and internal temperatures of the panels are recorded during heating and cooling periods. The data recorded, together with the determined densities and thermal conductivities, are used to compare the thermal mass behaviour of each type of panel and to determine the influence that the method of incorporating a phase change material into a concrete panel has on the effectiveness of the PCM to improve the thermal mass characteristics of the concrete panel. The study highlighted the complexity of thermal behaviour of PCM/concrete composites. The panels containing PCM displayed significantly greater thermal storage capacity despite having reduced thermal conductivity and density. The study concluded that the panel containing lightweight aggregate/PCM composite is more effective at providing additional thermal storage particularly within the first 100mm of depth of an element of structure.
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Dervilla Niall et al.What Role Does Mathematical Preparedness Play for Engineering Students Who Transfer from and Ordinary Degree into an Honours Degree?http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/23
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/23Thu, 14 May 2015 09:20:29 PDT
Students who have not achieved a high level of mathematics at secondary school but have a pass in ordinary level mathematics have the option of entering onto a 3-year Ordinary degree (Level 7). Upon successful completion of this award students may apply to progress to the third year of the Honours degree. Up until relatively recently an upper merit (60%) was the minimum required to make this transition. In recent years this requirement has been reduced with many students with lower marks being offered the possibility of transferring.

Relatively little work has been done on the transition from an Ordinary degree to an Honours degree and in particular the mathematical preparedness of these students. In the third and fourth year of many Honours engineering courses within the DIT it is not unusual to have 30-50% of the students coming from an Ordinary degree background. The majority of these students come from within the DIT while others transfer in from other Institutes of Technology in Ireland. Previous work has shown that students from an Ordinary degree background are more than twice as likely to fail mathematics in their third year of the Honours degree when compared with students who have proceeded directly through an Honours degree programme. In this study we analyse students’ performance across all subjects and examine if there is a relationship between mathematical performance in the final year of the Ordinary degree and overall performance across all subjects in the third and fourth year of the Honours degree.

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Michael Carr et al.Analysing the Impact of Digital Photography Projects on Student Engagement and Performance in a Higher Education Engineering Disciplinehttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/22
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/22Fri, 12 Dec 2014 01:00:28 PST
Developing and implementing engaging activities aligned with the learning outcomes of a module within a higher education programme is essential to successful teaching practice in the 21st century. Substantial research evidence indicates that student engagement plays a pivotal role in the academic performance and success of the student. The aim of this research is to compare student performance after adopting an alternative pedagogic approach utilising digital photography as a tool to engage the student in an engineering discipline. The activity was designed to promote student engagement by integrating digital photography, replicating authentic construction professional practice and focusing on images as a key means of communication and to aid the learning. Such strategies can promote student inclusion by eliminating literacy challenges associated with the traditional lecturing approach. A questionnaire to students revealed that those from a construction background perceived that they gained a deeper understanding of the subject matter and a richer learning experience, and advocated that more teachers on their programme should adopt a similar teaching strategy. A comparison of assessment results from two previous student cohorts (n=36 students) found that the alternative approach yielded superior exam performance. The careful planning and implementation of combined teaching strategies in a single engaging activity can deliver improved student performance without the need for additional material or financial resources.
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Michael GleesonUsing Game Engine Technologies for Increasing Cognitive Stimulation and Perceptive Immersionhttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/21
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/21Tue, 16 Sep 2014 03:00:31 PDT
With the development of more user friendly game engine packages and software, detailed cognitive stimulation of procedural activities has now become easier to develop in virtual reality environments. With packages offering built-in visual editors, the amount of labour hours required for the development of specific applications are reduced. This paper considers the use of computer supported game engine technology to provide location independent comprehension and procedural skills learning for built environment education.
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Garrett Keenaghan et al.State of the Art of Using Virtual Reality Technologies in Built Environment Education.http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/20
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/20Mon, 15 Sep 2014 06:50:31 PDT
the application of virtual reality technologies in built environment education (BEE). In addition to an analysis of the current trends and developments in current virtual reality technologies and systems, it also evaluates their educational usability and effectiveness in the mirror of the literature. First, a reasoning model is introduced, which is used as a structuring skeleton of the paper. The context of the analysis is learning experience of BEE students who tend to form individual perspective and expectations. When the experience and perspective of the virtual reality developer differs from that of the user the virtual environment-based learning may result in a perceived negative experience because of a strong focus on the reality of the virtual tasks. We found that the literature does not specifically address the issue of learning experience when different virtual reality technologies are used in BEE, but it does emphasize the importance of usability evaluation to enhance the effectiveness of applications. It was also found that stimulation of learners plays an important role and this explains why conventional single-person oriented (HMD-based) and multi-person oriented (CAVE-based) solutions are complemented with game-based stimulation. Future research should consider how game-based simulation can be applied in virtual reality learning environment in the context of BEE.
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Garrett Keenaghan et al.An Integrated Approach to the Teaching of Numerical Methods to Engineering Studentshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/19
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/19Mon, 30 Jun 2014 00:50:34 PDT
In Dublin Institute of Technology, historically, numerical methods were taught to engineering students using a format of traditional mathematics lectures, to a large class group consisting of students from five different engineering disciplines, complemented by small class tutorials. Assessment was by a single, written exam only.

In order to improve the overall effectiveness of the students’ learning experience, it was deemed beneficial to also introduce practical computing classes in which the students would be required to apply the general mathematical methods covered in lectures to discipline-specific examples.

Three different practical computing assignments were devised for the students to undertake, and 20% of the marks for the course were allocated to these assignments. The numerical problems considered were the solution of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and partial differential equations (PDEs) using the finite-difference method; the solution of first-and second-order ODEs using Runge–Kutta; and the solution of first- order ODEs using Milne-Simpson.

It was hoped that students would find this integrated approach engaging and formative in their understanding of numerical methods and their application to real-world engineering problems. To ascertain if this was the case, an anonymous, online survey of the students involved was conducted, along with a number of interviews of individual students. In addition, a comparison was carried out between these students’ grades, and grades from years prior to the introduction of the practical computing classes. The results of both the survey and the grade analysis will be presented in this paper.

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Garrett Keane et al.Assessing the Effectiveness of a Problem-Based Computer Modelling Module From the Student's Perspectivehttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/18
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/18Fri, 27 Jun 2014 02:35:32 PDT
The Computer Modelling module delivered to the third year Level 8 Mechanical Engineering students in the Dublin Institute of Technology is marked completely by continual assessment. It was developed using a problem based approach in that the theory of Computer Modelling methods is first explained but is then illustrated by demonstrating its application to the solution of real life problems. It is delivered in a traditional manner for the first six weeks in that the underlying principles and techniques of the finite difference method are covered in lectures and practical assignments are completed in the weekly computer laboratory classes. A problem based approach is adopted for the remaining six weeks of the semester. The students form their own groups of three and choose a unique project from a list supplied to them. The primary aim is to get the students to use numerical modelling to solve practical Engineering problems drawn from many different areas such as thermal processing in the food industry, heat transfer in engines, fluid modelling using ANSYS CFX and vibration analysis of structures and machines using Matlab.

The students are assigned a supervisor who meets them for at least 30 minutes each week to advise them and to monitor their progress. Each individual student is held to account for their contribution to the project effort. At the end of the semester, each group must create an A1 poster on their particular topic. They are given a standard template to follow and are advised on the structure including Literature Review, Methodologies, Results and Conclusions. The students are assessed on a ten minute presentation of their project to the module lecturers and their peers.

A shorter open session is also held in which the students must present their posters to other staff members and students and a prize is awarded to the best poster.

A survey was carried out on a group of 12 students who completed the module in 2013.It includes fourteen questions under the headings: Group Dynamics, Project Management, Poster Presentation and Personal View of the Project. In addition, a focus group with a small number of students who had completed the module in 2012 was conducted independently by the second author. The response of the survey was mainly positive with some negative comments. The comments of the focus were broadly in line with the more positive comments from the survey. The responses from the survey and focus groups are reported and discussed in the paper. The overall conclusion is that in general, the module is perceived to be enjoyable and challenging to complete and it equips the students with useful skills going forward.

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Garrett Keane et al.Participants Perspective of the FAS Redundant Placement Schemehttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/17
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/17Thu, 10 Apr 2014 08:00:39 PDT
The aim of this study is to gather and analyze feedback from participants of a scheme which was put in place in the early stages of the Irish economic recession to provide work placements to redundant Apprentices. As part of the research for this paper a series of qualitative interviews were conducted with partipancts of the FAS Redundant Apprentice Placement Scheme (RAPS). FAS is the authoriity which organises and administers the Statutory Apprentice Scheme in Ireland.The scheme detailed in this study was put in place to aid Apprentices who has been made redundant, to complete phases 3,5 and 7 of their Apprenticeship. These are three of the four “on the job” phases of their training. A weekly allowance is paid to participating Apprentices for the duration of the placement. Redundant Apprentices and Employers must meet a specific set of criteria to qualify for participation in the scheme, these are designed to protect the participants and to prevent unscrupulious employers from using the scheme as a method of accessing cheap labour. A selection of themes were identified in the data gathered during the interviews, these were seperated and grouped under specific headings. The analysis of the data gathered during these interviews provides an interesting insight into the learning experiences of the participating redundant apprentices.

The findings highlighted that a large proportion of the participants had many positive learning experiences, however they also indicated that they felt that they would have benefited more from the scheme if more opportunities were available to engage in a greater variety of learning tasks. This paper would suggest that the participating Apprentces could learn more if the were placed with a greater variety of companies, this could provide them with a broader range of learning experiences.

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Maurice Collins et al.Assessment of the Effectiveness of an Aid for the Development of the Kinetic Skills Required for T.I.G. Weldinghttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/16
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/16Thu, 10 Apr 2014 08:00:37 PDT
This action research project was carried out in the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. The authors are both Lecturers of Engineering in this college and have a keen interest in providing the best possible aids to their students learning. Three groups of engineering apprentices and one group of part time students took part in this project. At the time these students were taking a third level Tungsten Inert Gas welding (T.I.G.) training module. Qualified T.I.G. welders are in very high demand worldwide and as such can demand a very high rate of pay for their services. The kinetic skills applicable to this discipline relate to the close control of the movement of the hands, arms, head and upper body of the student during the T.I.G. welding process. The authors were keen to provide additional help to the many students who struggled to master these skills. The students who took part in this project tested and provided feedback on a device which was developed by the authors. The purpose of this device was to aid the students to understand and appreciate the specific set of kinetic skills required for the successful completion of the T.I.G. welding module. It was anticipated that the device, in addition to helping the students to develop their kinetic awareness would reduce the cost of delivering the module by reducing the quantity of consumable resources such as electricity, and welding gas required to train the students to the required international standard. A quantitative survey was completed and the analysis of the data gathered provides an interesting insight into the impact on the learning of the participants and also the potential of the device to reduce the cost of delivering the module.

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Maurice Collins et al.A Model for Transforming Engineering Education Through Group Learninghttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/15
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/15Fri, 18 Oct 2013 05:15:25 PDT
Electrical engineering educators at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) have successfully implemented pedagogical change. They now use group-based, student-centered and inquiry-driven approaches to teach emerging engineers. The objective of this was to foster students’ personal as well as professional skills (i.e., teamwork, communication, self-directed learning, etc.). This paper explores how such change was achieved and provides graphic models that draw from prior phenomenological studies and incorporates aspects of Rogers’ (1962) product adoption curve and Lowe’s (2012) interpretations of it.
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Shannon Chance et al.Should Electrical Apprentices Study More Mathematicshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/14
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/14Mon, 25 Feb 2013 03:45:18 PST
The Department of Electrical Services Engineering, formerly known as the Installation Department, Kevin St., train Electrical Apprentices to become Qualified Electricians, has recently started to award Degrees in Electrical Services Engineering which includes the built environment. These students come from CAO applicants and from phase 6 students who have passed through the school. It is a popular and well subscribed course. I am involved in teach Phase 4 and 6. To progress to phase 6, phase 4 students must pass four examinations of which Electric Science is by all accounts the most difficult. To qualify as Electricians phase 6 also must pass four examinations and as in phase 4 the mathematics exam presents biggest difficulty. It is with this in mind that I find the Departments decision to discontinue the mathematics class for phase 4 and 6 a backward step. Foreign and native companies operating in Ireland speak of the crying need to improve dramatically the mathematical ability of our engineers and craftsmen. I set a Math test on 9th. March 2010 for phase 4 and phase 6. The questions came from a past Leaving Certificate ordinary level paper, which most students said they sat. The test was quite easy but the results were poor. Eighteen students handed back papers and overall 44% passed and 56% failed (Phase 6). The results were worse for phase 4 with a pass rate of 26% failure rate of 74%. Later when I wrote the solutions on the board I was surprised to see them working in groups comparing notes. The survey completed, I can say that it is vital that the Math program be reinstated fully and not have it as an optional subject when classes have ended at 5 o’clock after students have put in a long day. The idea that we train Electricians and they leave the DIT with only a rudimentary knowledge of mathematics is out of date in the 21st century. We lag behind greatly Engineers in the Orient and parts of Europe. This situation must be addressed quickly. Mathematics for Apprentices could be reintroduced as a core subject of Web CT or virtually or as an Effective mode. The students should be asked for feedback to establish that they can perform simple calculations such as power inputs and outputs of motors etc.
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David LalorInternational Study Abroad in Engineering/Industrial Technology: Through the Eyes of Studentshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/13
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/13Tue, 08 May 2012 01:35:01 PDT
Faculty and programs in engineering/industrial technology often promote international exchange and study abroad as a desirable component of a university experience— particularly in this increasingly globalized world. But, what do students who have actually had such experiences perceive? How do they view such experiences, before, during and after the event? The following paper evolved from the experiences of four universities collaborating on an EU-FIPSE funded Atlantis project called DETECT that consist of the partnerships of four Engineering/Technology Educational institutions; Hochschule Darmstadt in Germany, Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland, and Pennsylvania State University & Purdue University from the USA.
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Michael Dyrenfurth et al.Successful Engineering and Technology Student Mobility: Key Student Perspectives and Quality Determinants Before, During and After Student Exchange Under the Atlantis Programmehttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/12
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/12Fri, 04 May 2012 04:25:32 PDT
In this paper, we describe the lessons learned, and determinants of quality, from two Atlantis programmes. Additionally our two student authors will share key student perspectives relevant to student mobility: (1) before they visited the partner university, (2) while they were studying at the partner university and (3) after they returned to their home university. Purdue University and the Dublin Institute of Technology, together with the Hochschule Darmstadt and Pennsylvania State University, were successful in securing an Atlantis mobility grant [1] for four years to support student and staff mobility between the United States and Europe. The programme has just completed its third year and both engineering and technology students have benefitted from it. Subsequently Purdue University, Dublin Institute of Technology and the Universitat Politècnica De Catalunya were successful in securing an Atlantis grant to implement a dual degree MSc in Sustainability, Technology & Innovation [2]. This programme is now underway and the first students have begun study in partner universities. Given that the core theme for this SEFI Annual conference is global engineering recognition, sustainability, mobility, this paper will address aspects of all three of these topics from both a student and an academic perspective. Among the key determinants of quality [3] that will be highlighted are student selection, student preparation and orientation (both out-going and incoming), student housing considerations; instructional culture differences; student plan of study establishment; student finances; accommodation of miss-matched calendars; purposes and nature of faculty mobility; programme operation and personnel; project communication and evaluation [4]. The concept of sustainability will be approached in terms of both the content and experiences designed into the students’ plan of study as well as the continuation of the exchanges and dual degree programme beyond the four year externally funded projects that enabled their initiation. Because no academic paper can present first person student insights, perspectives, and concerns and because these are also central to the success of such programmes, we have carefully involved two students in the preparation of our paper and delivery of the presentation. In turn, they have interacted with other exchangees so that a broad perspective is presented. The summary findings of the projects’ third party evaluator [5] will be summarized to yield a complete 360° overview of what makes such important exchange and study-abroad programmes in engineering and technology fields successful. Finally, we will conclude with a brief highlighting of the evaluation design, assessment and monitoring systems needed to maintain effective forward progress for such project. The paper will be presented by two faculty/academics associated with managing the Atlantis programmes and by two students who participated in the Atlantis programmes.
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Mike Murphy et al.Philosophy Matters in Engineering Studieshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/11
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/11Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:33:05 PDT
This article explores the rationale for including in an integrated five-years Masters Engineering programme liberal arts subjects, in particular Philosophy and the History of Science and Technology. We argue that the tools of philosophy should be used to provide additional insight into how engineering was and is 'performed'. We first review the challenge, next we present some results of an empirical case study carried out at AU-IBT in Denmark. The purpose of the case study was to examine a sample of engineering teachers´ attitudes towards the relevance and scope of liberal arts subjects for engineering students. Finally we conclude with a proposal for the inclusion of Philosophy and History of Engineering, Science and Technology in an engineering programme and how this might be done
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William Grimson et al.European and American Perspectives on Engineering Technology vs Engineering Degreeshttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/9
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/9Tue, 28 Sep 2010 02:19:11 PDTMichael Dyrenfurth et al.Understanding the European Bologna Processhttp://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/10
http://arrow.dit.ie/engineduccon/10Tue, 28 Sep 2010 02:19:11 PDT
This paper describes the European Bologna process, provides a ‘mid-term’ review of its implementation status and discusses its possible positive and negative impacts on US – European links in the fields of engineering and technology education. The first section of this paper describes the meaning and rationale behind each of the Bologna objectives, and why there is a need to establish a European area of higher education. It also comments on how these objectives are interpreted within educational institutions. The second section provides a mid-term report on the implementation status within European universities, focussed primarily on engineering and technology education. The third section of this paper describes the issues associated with successfully implementing Bologna in engineering and technology education. These include critical issues such as degree structure, how educational institutions are addressing the two-cycle requirement, the employability of first cycle graduates, and quality enhancement at both an institutional and a national level. The final section outlines the implications and impacts for US – European institutional co-operation and links, particularly in the area of student exchange.
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Michael Dyrenfurth et al.